This invention represents a novel process for the separation and extraction of liquids from a conduit such as a flow line and more particularly to a process for extracting separated liquids from a multiphase or wet gas pipeline.
In the extraction of fluids such as hydrocarbons from a well bore, multiphase fluids which may for example include mixtures of liquid and gas phased products are not uncommon. Whilst these products are recovered simultaneously from the well, it is generally desirable to separate the different phases of the fluids for collection in purpose built facilities.
Presently, the liquid phase is either separated by sub-sea or topsides facilities prior to being transported by a pipeline or alternatively, the pipeline is designed to allow transportation of fluids without prior liquid removal. This necessitates the use of complicated sub-sea or topsides separation facilities and/or complicated mechanical pipeline design.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved process for the separation and extraction of fluids from conduits which overcomes or at least mitigates the aforementioned disadvantages.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a process for the separation and extraction of liquid from a multi-component fluid within a conduit in which said liquid tends to settle, said process comprising introduction of a coil tubing into a predetermined settlement region within said conduit, said tubing having an inlet at said settlement region and being operatively connected to aspirating means, whereby the said liquid is separated within the settlement region and aspirated into the tubing and thereby extracted.
Advantageously the coil tubing is maintained at a lower pressure than the conduit to encourage flow of liquid into the coil tubing for extraction.
The coil tubing preferably runs along the bottom of the conduit and is substantially smaller in diameter in comparison thereto. In this way the normal flow of fluids through the conduit is not interrupted by the presence of the extraction equipment.
The conduit is preferably a pipeline formed of a plurality of pipe sections joined end to end.
For a conduit with the appropriate produced fluid characteristics, one embodiment may have additional coil tubing strips to provide further liquid removal at other locations in the pipeline.